Bella Grace Agency Personal Assistance

By Lynette Carrington

Bella Grace Agency Personal Assistance

May 9th, 2016by Lynette Carrington

Elite Nanny and Domestic Staff for Every Family’s Needs

When considering a nanny or domestic staff personnel, there are many factors to consider. The beauty of the Bella Grace Agency is that it takes all the hassle, guesswork and concern out of getting just the right person that will fit the needs of your family. From an intensive interview and vetting process, to personality and interest assessments, the agency leaves no stone unturned for its families in giving peace of mind in providing domestic staff that will be considered an extension of the family.

Founder of Bella Grace Agency and 2014 Nanny of the Year, Sheri Lopez brings her 35 years experience as a nanny to the agency. With safety and exceptional family care at the top of her list of priorities, she established the agency almost two years ago to provide families with exceptional nannies, caregivers and domestic staff.

“Bella Grace was a name I’ve always liked,” says Lopez. “It’s a name that represents elegance and class.” It is this attention to detail that permeates every facet of Bella Grace Agency.“My mission was to create this agency based on how I always worked with my families. The level of respect and professionalism – that was really important to me. Now, I incorporate that through the vetting process I do.”

The Comprehensive Vetting Process

Every potential nanny or domestic staff person goes through a rigorous vetting process, and previous employment experience is a heavy consideration. Lopez says, “Nannies must have five years of experience from the age of 18 – in homes, not in a day care. I do that because if someone gets to the five year mark as a nanny, they are pretty much moving toward a career as a professional nanny.”

Each candidate goes through a personality, integrity and mental stability assessment that is administered by a respected third party company. “It shows me how they think and how they work, the type of personalities that they work best with and how they handle emergencies,” states Lopez. “It’s important to me because I’m a safety nut. I always want everyone to be proactive and not reactive.” All nannies also must pass the International Nanny Association’s Basic Skills Assessment. In fact, Lopez serves on the Board of Directors for the International Nanny Association.

Additionally, three personal and three professional references are required of all candidates.“What we do differently, is send over an online review system,” says Lopez. With the comprehensive online review, people are more likely to give complete, honest and thorough reviews, versus just conducting a brief phone interview.

“I do an initial background check before I even entertain speaking with somebody because I don’t want to waste my time and I don’t want to waste anybody else’s time,” adds Lopez. “That’s something that we do that is different from any other agency. I clear them in the criminal database and sex offender registry right away.” The driving record is also pulled on all candidates prior to consideration.

Once accepted into the agency, caregivers do sign an agency representation agreement, non-disclosure agreement and a code of conduct. There are strict rules that children and clients are not to be photographed, put on to social media or otherwise spoken about in any manner – either in an online way or amongst other agency workers. “We thoroughly respect the privacy of our families,” adds Lopez.

When a nanny, sitter or caregiver is placed, they become an employee of the family as a domestic worker. “It’s just the right thing to do. If a family wants to pay ‘under the table’ they’re just asking for a can of worms,” Lopez cautions. “If you’re looking for a professional to come in and is trained, educated and passionate about caring for their children, they are there to help those children reach their milestones and help them prepare for school. They need to realize that is part of it, too.”

Services Offered

Full range of services offered by Bella Grace Agency includes:

Nanny

Sitter

Event Nannies

Resort Nanny

Overnight Nanny

Travel Nanny

Home and Family Assistant

Personal Assistant

Estate Manager

Housekeeper and Organizer

Housecleaner

Elder Companion

Pet Sitter

Temporary Service

Specialty Services

All candidates cleared to work on behalf of Bella Grace Agency are certified in CPR and first aid. Lopez is a certified American Red Cross instructor and at random intervals she will conduct workshops and pull out the CPR mannequins to serve as a technique and process refresher. “Every month we have educational training done online. I send either videos they need to watch or an article they need to read,” states Lopez. Content covered could be anything from how to properly treat a bee sting or how to act when you spot a snake or scorpion, to how to differentiate a true emergency from a situation that might only require a phone call to a parent.

“It often starts that our families may just want one service and then they add services,” explains Lopez. “That’s truly what I’ve designed Bella Grace for, is to be able meet a family’s needs in all areas, so that they don’t have to keep hunting for other people.” The agency also provides people to assist with events, parties and weddings.

“The nannies, housekeepers and everyone else that I represent – I view them as professionals.They are passionate about what they do and they care about what they do,” states Lopez. “I love being able to connect families with top quality providers.”

Another service that Lopez has started is “My Safe Kid.” The child personal safety and identification kit is updated several times each year and is designed to keep contact information, current photos, DNA swap, fingerprints, allergy information and personal profile info available at a moment’s notice. This information is extremely helpful in the event of an emergency of any sort or a car accident. The ID kit includes a car seat ID to alert first responders with valuable information, plus a sticker that goes on the back of the vehicle to alert first responders that there is information on board a vehicle that pertains to the children in the car. “My Safe Kids came from concerns I always had when I was a nanny,” Lopez states. “What happened if I were to get into a car accident? How will they know who that baby is? What are they going to know about that child? I came up with a system that grows with the child.” To sign up, or for more information, visit www.mysafekid.biz.

For those that might like to consider working as a caregiver or nanny through Bella Grace Agency, just submit a professional resume to resume@bellagraceagency.com. Learn more about Bella Grace Agency at www.bellagraceagency.com or call (480) 258-1938 to find out how Bella Grace can meet your unique family’s care and staffing needs.